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F1 drivers participate in press conference after USGP

November 17, 2012

Sebastian Vettel, pictured, along with Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso, all participated in the press conference following the U.S. Grand Prix. Photo by LAT PHOTOGRAPHIC

Lewis Hamilton won the United States Grand Prix on Sunday in Austin, and then he joined fellow drivers Sebastian Vettel and Fernando Alonso for the press conference afterwards. The transcript for the press conference is below.

Lewis, an absolutely fantastic drive and victory in a straight fight with Red Bull Racing and with Sebastian. How much satisfaction does that give you?

LH: A huge amount. It's been a great weekend, to be able to beat Red Bull and Sebastian is definitely a tough challenge but we managed to do it today. I don't know, we weren't so bad in the first stint but it was very difficult to follow and to get past. In trying to do so I locked…my tires went off. We pitted maybe two laps before Sebastian, so then he came out quite far ahead but traffic really worked out quite well for once. Traffic usually catches me out, so I was glad that it worked slightly in my favor at some points. But yeah, what a great feeling to win the first grand prix here, back in the States, I won the last one here as well, so I'm massively proud.

Where was the Red Bull so strong? Because it did take quite a few DRS efforts before you managed to make it.

LH: It was everywhere, they're pretty strong everywhere. I think it was more so…the first sector is very difficult to follow through Four, Five, Six, Seven, such high speed it's quite difficult to follow through there. The place where he really extended his gap was the exit of Nine. That was really where, in the most important part, where he made over a second gap, so I was struggling to really get…to remain close. As I said with traffic it all worked out really well. He kind of…I knew that lap would be the lap that I would have a chance, so I turned the engine up and got close.

Sebastian you did all you could and you've extended your championship lead. What are your feelings after second place?

SV: I think, as Lewis said, obviously it was close between us, there wasn't much between. I think very quickly we noticed that Lewis is the one we are racing. Obviously, for the rest, I don't know what happened to Mark – he was quite a while in third place. After that, obviously, there was a big gap down to the Ferraris, so yeah, it was clear that we were racing Lewis. Everything seemed to be in control. As Lewis touched on, with traffic it's quite difficult depending where you get it on the track. Surely it didn't work in my favor. Lewis was then close enough, after he tried many times before, to open his rear wing and then down the back straight, it was a bit of an invitation really. It didn't matter which side I would have picked, they were quick enough on the straight and he took the lead fair enough. After that I tried to be as close as I could but, as he said, it was difficult to follow, difficult to get in range. So, bit of a shame to lose first place but as you said I think we did everything we could. Fantastic job for the team today to seal the Constructors' Championship against Ferrari who are now in second. I'm very happy with that and the guys can be, for sure, very proud of themselves. I think we will have a drink tonight, enjoy the time here. All weekend has been incredible, I think, for all of us, for the whole Formula One paddock here. The last race [in the US] obviously, as Lewis said, he won it. It was my first race in Formula One here in the United States and to come back and get so much support, so may fans…The signing session yesterday was absolutely crazy and full grandstands, so full house. It was really, really nice to race today in front of the crowd.

Fernando, really a fantastic start and then it was just a matter of holding station.

FA: Yes, we know our championship keeps alive maybe thanks to the first laps. We always qualify around seventh or eighth and we finish the first lap in the first three or four positions normally and then after that the race becomes a little easier when that happens, when you are in the leading group, and today we knew that was a good chance, try to overtake people at the first corner, and then the pace on Sunday normally improves so we knew that if we are in the leading group we can more or less keep the pace. Today not possible to keep the pace with these two guys, that they were too far ahead but enough to keep for the guys behind. And then I think this podium, after all the difficulties we went through this weekend is like a victory for us. Losing three points maybe was in no-one's thoughts I think yesterday night or Friday night after seeing the practice, so we are really happy again to have a very good Sunday and score again good points.